Background:The ultimate goal of a successful colonoscopy is an accurate examination without causing discomfort or pain to the patient. ScopeGuide® (Olympus, Japan) is a product which displays the position and shape of the colonoscope and thereby is believed to shorten insertion time, facilitate loop elimination and increase patient comfort. This prospective study was designed to evaluate if ScopeGuide affected the outcome of colonoscopy. Methods:A total of 37 colonoscopies (23 women and 14 men; 53±2.4 years) were performed by four experienced endoscopists and three residents in gastroenterology. In 13 of the examinations biopsies were taken and excluded from the evaluation. ScopeGuide® was used in 14/24 colonoscopies. Patient discomfort, pain and general experience of the examinations were assessed using a VAS-scale. The technical difficulty and general experience of the examination were estimated by the endoscopists in a similar manner. Cecal intubation time was registered.Results:The patients where ScopeGuide was used experienced significantly less pain (4.3±0.8 vs. 6.7±0.6; P= 0.042). In the colonoscopies without ScopeGuide there was a positive correlation between the technical difficulty, as estimated by the doctor, and the pain experienced by the patients (R2=0,65; P=0.009). This correlation was abolished with ScopeGuide. There were no differences between the two groups regarding patient discomfort and general experience. The time to reach cecum in female patients was longer than in males (26±3.5 vs 10±2.6min). Conclusion:This prospective study demonstrates that using the additional help of ScopeGuide, which facilitates the elimination of loops, reduces the pain as experienced by patients during colonoscopy.